The present invention relates to an improved pedal for a vehicle to reduce injuries to the lower extremity of a driver of the vehicle in the event of a vehicle crash, and the use of such a pedal.
Injuries to the feet, ankles or legs of a driver of a motor vehicle involved in a crash or collision are, unfortunately, commonplace. A frequent occurrence in such collisions is the impact of the lower extremity of the driver with the clutch or brake pedal of the vehicle with sufficient force that severe fractures of the bones of the feet, ankles or legs of the driver result, as well as soft tissue damage. These injuries are very difficult to heal, resulting in high costs for lengthy convalescences.
The prevalence of this problem was documented in "Mechanisms of Fracture in Ankle and Foot Injuries to drivers in Motor Vehicles Crashes," D. C. Lestina et al., 36th Stapp Car Crash Conference Proceedings (P-261), presented at the Stapp Car Crash Conference in Seattle, Washington, Nov. 2-4, 1992. That paper indicates that impact with foot pedals accounts for 36% of studied injuries. Such impact was the single largest cause of fracture injuries to the foot in that study. The article concludes by saying that "improved vehicle designs could reduce the likelihood of such injuries in crashes," but gives no specifics as to what could be changed or how.
An article headlined "Insurers find some accident costs actually increase" in the newspaper USA Today, page 4B as recently as Sep. 29, 1995 shows that serious injuries to legs, ankles and feet continue to be a serious problem. Thus there is a well-documented need for some means to reduce the severity of injuries to driver's lower extremities arising from motor vehicle crashes.